Israelis love to gripe about the country. Israelis think life here is much harder than in other Western countries. It turns out that Israelis also have a lot of time to devote to their grousing: life here may be difficult, but Israelis live long lives.

At 81.5, Israel has the sixth highest life expectancy in the world. This is mainly because of the men, statistically speaking. Israeli men can expect to live 79.6 years, on average, the third highest in the world, bested only by men in Switzerland (79.9) and Iceland (79.7).

How do Israelis enjoy such longevity?

Part of the answer lies simply in money. Citizens of OECD member countries are not only the richest: they boast the highest life expectancy. This is little surprise: it is well recognized that money can buy health services, which in turn prolongs life.

Research carried out in numerous countries has shown that three factors combine to prolong longevity: a good health system, good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. All three depend on a countrys affluence and its ability to invest in improving health services, in education towards healthy living, and in its ability to provide a wide variety of nutritious food.

Israel is one of the more developed countries in the world, and a member of the OECD. It could therefore be expected to have high life expectancy.

Specifically, its health services are apparently still one of the better ones on the globe. Despite growing concerns about recent deterioration, the health system here is quite advanced and fairly egalitarian and accessible.

An additional major contributor to longevity is the local Mediterranean diet, with its abundance of fruit, vegetables and olive oil, as well as a preference for poultry over red meat. The climate is also thought to be salubrious, with moderate temperatures and long daylight hours on average, all contributing to reducing stress and seasonal depression.

However, other Mediterranean countries have similar dietary habits and climate, without boasting particularly long life-spans. Greece, for example, lags far behind Israel in its citizens life expectancy.

The argument by which the advanced egalitarian health system is conducive to a long life is also problematic. Scandinavian countries have no less of an advanced and progressive health system, yet Israelis tend to live longer.

Continued here:
Why do Israelis live so long?